Participatory Grantmaking Initiative
A Grantmaking Initiative Led by and for Racialized Migrants
Supporting Innovative Projects for Migrant and Refugee Communities
Racialized migrants are often positioned as recipients of services, and seldom seen or uplifted as leaders and change makers. Through this participatory grantmaking initiative, we wish to challenge this narrative and are developing a grant initiative, by and for racialized migrant communities, that will disburse over $500,000 in grant-based funding.
The grant will support racialized migrant youth, adults, and elders in BC who have an innovative idea for a collective, business, non-profit, campaign, or initiative that will address problems faced by refugee and migrant communities.
What is Participatory Grantmaking?
Participatory grantmaking is an approach where the decision-making power over where and how funds are allocated lies with the communities directly affected. We use this approach to challenge the traditional top-down funding models that often exclude marginalized and racialized voices. By placing racialized migrants at the forefront, this initiative ensures that those who understand the community’s needs best are the ones shaping solutions.
To learn about Participatory Grantmaking, read our announcement blog.
Participatory Grantmaking Initiative Outcomes
Boost community engagement in projects and initiatives
Boost community engagement in projects and initiatives
Strengthen long-term capacity in our communities
Strengthen long-term capacity in our communities
Develop effective and community-centered projects and solutions
Develop effective and community-centered projects and solutions
Ensure equitable resource distribution through inclusive decision-making
Ensure equitable resource distribution through inclusive decision-making
Contribute to knowledge on equitable resource allocation for racialized communities
Contribute to knowledge on equitable resource allocation for racialized communities
Participatory Approach to Grant Design and Decision-Making
This initiative is designed by a working group of racialized migrant community members, leaders, organizers, and changemakers. Our approach in the design and development of this initiative is guided by the Liberatory Design framework and principles. This allows us to:
- Focus on building self-awareness as designers to question and break biases, norms and assumptions that perpetuate inequities
- Actively shift power dynamics and center the voices of those affected by inequities
- Be able to learn throughout this process while building agency, trust and comfort for decision-making
- Find ways in which we can shift narratives and systems to create conditions for ‘collective liberation’
The Participatory Grantmaking Initiative will run in four phases:
A working group determines the focus of the grants, process for individuals, support for applicants, decision-making criteria, post-grant support, and measurement of outcomes and impact.
This phase includes information sessions, targeted outreach to various stakeholders, and support for potential applicants to build strong applications.
A decision-making group reviews applications, makes decisions on fund disbursement, and conveys those decisions.
This phase provides ongoing support to grantees through cohort-based activities, community building, tailored connections with advisors, in addition to learning and tracking of experience in the initiative and impact/outcomes achieved.
Want to support this project?
We are thankful to the WES Mariam Assefa Fund for their partnership in setting up this initiative. We welcome interest from funders who would like to learn more about this initiative and explore potential partnerships.
Please reach out to Yara Younis (yyounis@radiussfu.com) and Shikhank Sharma (ssharma@radiussfu.com) with any questions or to learn more about this initiative.
Stay up-to-date on this initiative
The opening of applications and the process will be announced widely in the Fall of 2024. During the application stage, support will be available to any individuals, groups, or organizations looking to receive guidance through the process.
Meet the Grant Design Working Group
Mohammed (he/him) is a passionate advocate for refugee rights and social justice, born and raised in the Al Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, Palestine. He holds an honors degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Palestine. Since relocating to the unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples, Mohammed has dedicated himself to advocating the rights of refugee claimants, particularly in the areas of housing, employment, and belonging.
As the Transforming Employment Narratives Project Coordinator at Kinbrace, Mohammed leverages his professional and lived experience to push for systemic change and justice. He actively addresses the economic challenges faced by racialized migrant youth through his involvement with Solid State Community Industries, where he works towards creating a solidarity economy and building cooperatives.
Mohammed is also the Director of LightWork Consulting Cooperative, a worker’s co-op committed to fostering justice and belonging by creating safer, more inclusive, and diverse work environments. Additionally, he serves as a Community Advisor with the Vancouver Foundation, Youthful Cities, and RADIUS-SFU, where he provides programming, engagement, and consultation services. Through these roles, Mohammed continues to be a strong voice for marginalized communities, advocating for a fairer and more equitable society.
Jorge arrived in Canada at the end of 2021 with his wife and daughter. He studied law in his native Nicaragua and a master’s degree in nonprofit management in Spain.
He worked for ten years in the management team of a university and taught some law courses. At the same time, he collaborated for three years with the Organization of American States as local coordinator of a program on culture of non-violence, digital media and arts for social dialogue.
Since 2017, he works for a US non-profit organization running wellness programs for artisans, conducting some impact investment evaluations and managing relationships with more than a dozen organizations in Nicaragua and Guatemala. He is also part of an organization that advocates for immigrant rights in Canada, primarily in the agricultural sector.
He loves to walk, talk and spend time with his friends and family. He currently lives in Penticton with his family.
Mayra is a non-disabled, cisgender, heterosexual settler located on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam speaking people. She is a racialized, Mexican, immigrant from Colima, where she lived before moving to so-called Canada. Mayra has lived experiences with racial trauma, depression, and anxiety. She understands the complexities of navigating mental health challenges and connection between them and systemic oppression.
Mayra has facilitated connection and resiliency with diverse community members who have faced complex barriers by supporting them through her work and volunteering in non-profits, higher education settings, and social services organizations.
She recently graduated as a counsellor and is curious about the impact of the gender and racial discourses that shape the single narratives of women international students, immigrants, and refugees navigating their journeys through education and workplace environments in Canada. Her work as a counsellor is influenced by her unique blend of lived experiences and social identities.
Mayra centers justice-oriented values in her work, offering an integrative approach to therapy. She draws from client-centered, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive practices. Believing that counselling fosters resilience through self-understanding, awareness of the impact of the system, and positive change, she aligns her support with her clients’ aspirations. Mayra collaborates with clients through a transformative process, embracing vulnerability and uncertainty as the birthplace of possibilities. She cultivates a safe space where moments of choice can become clear, presenting learning opportunities while honoring clients’ current journeys.
When she’s not learning, Mayra enjoys chasing sunrises, practicing yoga, connecting with nature, savoring coffee, and engaging in meaningful conversations with people.
Ilhan Abdullahi is a dedicated community organizer, storyteller, and educator residing on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Committed to addressing health and social inequities, she focuses particularly on Black youth and newcomers. Drawing inspiration from her family’s journey as newcomers in Canada, Ilhan actively engages in community outreach, research, and organizing efforts to contribute to the collective liberation of the communities she is a part of. For the past 5 years, Ilhan has been working as the Health Promotion Lab Manager at RADIUS, running the ideation and business validation model programs centered on health equity. Most recently, she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. to explore the role of community organizing and social innovation in public health systems transformation.
Imane Tounsi is passionate about community capacity building and the wealth of knowledge immigrants can bring to decision-making tables. Originally from Rabat, Morocco, she is an uninvited settler living and working on the stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) & səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She is a holder of a Master’s degree in International Relations & Diplomacy and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Communications from Juniata College in Central Pennsylvania. Having worked for different non-profits in the Lower Mainland has allowed her to work closely with immigrants and refugees where she created youth-led settlement programs with a human-centered, trauma-informed approach. Currently, she holds the position of Operations Manager with the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) where she gets to work along some incredible humans to change the narrative around substance use and advocate for the folks experiencing systemic marginalization.In her spare time, you’ll find her building community connections, most probably over food and dance.
My name is Amani Bagende (He/Him). A Canadian Citizen from Burundi, graduated from the American Hotel and Lodge Institute and awarded the Leadership Certificate from the Metro Vancouver Alliance. Founder and President of Swahili Vision International Association, the non for profit organization registered in BC since 2018 with mission to promote and educate all about the Swahili Cultural Heritage. The organization have been recognized in BC Legislature and acknowledged by BC Premier John Horgan and the Premier Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau since 2019 and recently awarded certificate from BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism(2020 and 2021) for his effort on the Intercultural Trust and Breaking barriers and currently Swahili language is in UBC programs,the organization is working in collaboration with Aboriginal Land Trust for the new, affordable housing project for indigenous and swahili people.
The Swahili Vision International Association’s goal is to create a Swahili Culture Centre in order to serve all individuals interested in the Swahili Cultural Heritage. My passion for building a stronger community comes after my experiences working with other NGOs back in 1996 when I co-founded the primary school for refugees marginalized children and families for Kitale refugees camp in Tanzania. After immigrated in I continue to work ,assist and serve refugees/new immigrants through the Immigration Services Society of BC in 2003 as an Interpreter for English and Swahili languages and after been working for Jet Set Sport and Co-sport for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic winter games I continue my passion of serving the marginalized people from the Vancouver Downtown Eastside and discover how people in communities are facing so many challenges I decided to join other communities people to found the Burundi Community Association of BC which I ended up to serve as a co-founder and Vice President.
Sean is committed to challenging and dismantling systems of oppression, with a focus on creating spaces where equity and justice are prioritized. Through their experiences with forced migration and growing up in environments shaped by systemic oppression, they have come to understand that true belonging is found within communities that offer safety and truly believe in collective liberation.
Their work as an advocate and researcher is grounded in the principles of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the years, Sean has collaborated with various community programs to confront the impacts of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, elitism and ableism, particularly in the context of supporting LGBTQ+ refugee claimants and addressing the mental health challenges faced by refugees in British Columbia.
As a part of RADIUS’s grant development team, Sean is committed to making this grant accessible by moving away from traditional, restrictive funding practices that reinforce existing inequalities. They advocate for eliminating rigid spending requirements, overly burdensome and ableist reporting demands, and application processes that unfairly advantage those already in positions of privilege—such as prioritizing organizations with prior grant experience under the guise of ensuring trustworthiness. Sean believes that these conventional approaches can further marginalize and suppress the potential of resilient communities. Instead, they seek to create a grant process that is approachable, equitable, inclusive, and empowering to communities that have always fought for their right to thrive.
Sean aims to contribute to the creation of equitable opportunities that address the root causes of marginalization and exclusion. They believe in the importance of designing and advocating for spaces where people are not forced to exhibit resilience in the face of oppression but are instead supported in their full humanity.
Shraddha is a passionate advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the Canadian workforce. With a Master’s degree in Intercultural and International Communication and extensive experience in Marketing, her career has spanned roles in content creation, sales, client engagement, and employment services. She brings valuable grantmaking expertise to her work, focusing on supporting migrant and BIPOC communities through targeted funding initiatives. Through her involvement in the Migrant Systems Change Leadership program, Shraddha is developing a strategic plan to dismantle barriers, such as the requirement for local work experience, that hinder migrant workers’ opportunities.
The Project Team
Alia Sunderji (she/her)
Alia is a social entrepreneur and lecturer at Simon Fraser University, where she teaches Sustainable Innovation and Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Passionate about the fields of sustainability, poverty alleviation and impact investing, Alia is the Founder of Luv The Grub, an emerging social enterprise that operates at a number of levels in the food system by capturing produce seconds that would otherwise go to waste, hires newcomer refugees and immigrants through a paid employment training program and produces delicious chutneys and spreads for the local market. In addition, Alia is also the Co-Founder of Liv & Lola, a fair trade home decor business that works with artisans in rural areas of Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Thailand where employment opportunities are scarce in an effort to lift them, their families and their communities out of poverty.
Shikhank Sharma (he/him)
I am passionate about building a world where every person has access to opportunities to better their life while becoming an integral part of a vibrant and sustainable community and an innovative economy. My work focuses on equity-centred approaches to social innovation, impact investing, venture incubation and acceleration, and capacity strengthening. I also explore ways organizations can best structure themselves for listening and collaboration. In these contexts, I have experience working with capital providers, nonprofits, universities, social enterprises, and accelerators across North America and internationally.
My journey to grow and learn led me from my home in the vibrant city of Delhi in Northern India to North America. Since then, my migration journey has taken me to many different communities and brought me to the present, where I reside on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples. I am grateful for the knowledge that those around me are willing to share to help me broaden my perspective on the world in all its brilliance and juxtapositions.
Yara Younis (she/her)
Yara (she/her) comes from a long and rooted ancestry of proud Palestinians who are Indigenous to the now-eradicated village of Berbera, Gaza. She settled on Coast Salish lands in 2018, where she has been unraveling the ways her life has been shaped by colonialism, from being born a refugee to challenging the idea of statehood. Yara’s professional and personal interests meet at the intersections of migrant justice and leadership, Indigenous sovereignty, and policy change. In her own time, Yara enjoys weightlifting, taking walks, sharing meals with friends, and cuddling with her cat.
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